Tire.



G. H. KEIFFER.

v TIRE.

APPLICATION FILED J'AN. 25. 1909. n

Patennzed June 22, 1909.

Witnesses with the improved va ve.

entren srnrns 'ri-firmar unioni.'-

CHARLES KEFFER, OF' AKRON, OHIG.

rma.

no. senseo.

Specification oi Lettera Patent.

Patented Juno 22, V1909.

application "and January as, uns. sean ne. traite.

To all whom 'it may pensera:

Be it known that CHARLES H. Kleinman, a citizen of the United States, residingat Al{ron,'in the county of Summit and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tires, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to certain -nevv and useful improvements in pneumatic tires 'such as are em loyed in connection with automobiles and t e' like, and the object Vof the invention is the provision of a novel tire of this character embodyin an outer tube and a series of independent inner tubes which are so arranged that should one or more of the inner tubes be punctured the remaining inner tubes can be readily inflated and the tire expanded to the desired tight,

ness. With such a construction the automobile or other machine in` connectlon with which the tire is employedis not put out of commission as soon as one'of thev inner tubes becomes punctured, but can continue upon- 'the trip as soon as the remaining inner tubes have been pumped upto the desired hardness, the puncture .being repaired at some convenient time when the machine is not in For a full understandin of the invention and the `merits thereof an also to acquire a knowledge of the details of construction4 and the means for effecting the result, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a side elevation of a Wheel `pro' vided with a pneumatic tire constructed in accordance with the invention; Fig. 2 is an 'enlarged transverse sectional view through the rim of 'the Wheel on the line 2,-2 of Fig. l; Fig. 3 is' an enlarged longitudinal sectional vievv through the valve mechanism of the tire; Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view of the cap; F ig. 5 1s a top plan View` of the plate to Which the 'cap is applied; Fig. y6 is a side elevation of a plug ein loyed .in connection ving air under y jof the variousinner tubes 3 extendthrough the rim 1 and also through suitable openings 'in' a plate vvhich is secured to the rim and had to the interior thereof when it is removed from the rim.

Arranged Within thel outerk tube 2 is' a series of independent inner tubes 3 which maybe of anyT desired size, the number of the inner tubes depending upon the size of L the outer tube within vvhich they are laced.

Each of these inner tubes is provide with an' independent valve tube 4 and valve 5, the said valves bein of ,the conventional Aconstruction and being formed with the stems 5? which enable the valves to be opened to 'determine Whether ori not lthe inner tube has been punctured or is still intact. If the hissing noise caused by the escape of air is heard when the stem 5l is pressed in- Wardly, it indicates that the tube is still in operative condition, While should no hissing noise beheerd when the stem is pressed in- Wardly, it'vvould indicate that the tube had been punctured and vvas'no longen maintainressure. The valve tubes 4:

a rubber pad 7 which is applied to the plate.

-Hinged to opposite ends of the plate 6 are the 'threaded stems 8, which are capped by the thumb nuts 9 and are designed to' engage slotted ears l0 upon a cap 11 which receives the inner ends of all of the valve tubes et. This cap fl is formed with a valve opening 1 2 to'vvhich an air pump is designed to be applied in the usual manner when invided for norm'ail closing the valve opening. In the speci c construction of the cap 11 it vvill be observed that the same is in the form of a chamber the bottom of lWhich is dating t e tire, and a screw cap 13 ,is pro--` provided with a series of openings 16 leading toy the respective valve tubes, inclined faces lifbeing provided adjacent the inner `ends of the openings to cause an even distribution of air from the cap to the inner tubes. Attention isals'o directed to the fact that the inner face of the ca ll'is recessed to receive the nuts 17 vvhic are applied to the extremities of the valve tubes to hold the latter in osition. The various inner tubes are boundp together at intervals by the binding strips '18 so that there Will be no tendency for the samewto fall apart and become separate when remi'ivedv from the outer tube. Should one or more of the inner tubes be punctured or otherwise injured, the operator removesthe. cap l1 by loosening the thumb v gagement with the slotted ears 10. He then f terior of theoap 11, the said cap -is replaced lie i presses inwardly upon the various stems 5a of the valves 5, and should he fail to hear,

thehissing noise of escaping air when any of these valve stems are pressed inwardly, the mouth ofthe corresponding valve 5 is closedy with a plug 15. After allof the injured inner tubes have thus been cut off from' cornmuni-cati'on with the chamber upon the inin position and a pump app thereto for inflating the remaining inner tubes` Av.The automobile or other machine to which the tire has been applied can then proceed upon itsjourney, the injuredinner 'tubes being repaired at some convenient time in the future when the machine is not in use. n

Having thus described the-invention, what is claimed as .new is: i

In a tire the combination of arim, an outer tube disposed on said rim, a plurality of inner tubes independently positioned within said outer tube, a perforated plate positioned against the inner face of said rim, a plurality of air tubes extended from said inner tubes and terminated in said plate, threaded stems hinged upon the opposite ends of said plate, a cap having an air chamber formed therein engaged 'over said plate in communication withI said air tubes, slotted lugs outwardly extended from the opposite ends'of said cap for engagement about 'said threaded stems, nuts disposed on said stems for clamping said lugs 1n ri id position, an air inlet valve position in said cap,'a plurality of'independent air valves disposed in the-ends of said air tubes and a plurality 'of binding strips disposed about,

said inner tubes at intervals throughout the tire for the purpose of holding the same 'in position.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature l CHAS. CLEMENT. 

